1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical probe apparatus electrical test methods for electrical test testing microelectronic fabrication die. More particularly, the present invention relates to electrical probe apparatus electrical test methods for accurately and efficiently electrically test testing microelectronic fabrication die.
2. Description of the Related Art
Microelectronic fabrications are formed from microelectronic substrates over which are formed patterned microelectronic conductor layers which are separated by microelectronic dielectric layers.
Integral to the fabrication of microelectronic fabrications, and in particular to the fabrication of semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic fabrications, is the electrical test testing of microelectronic fabrication die. The electrical test testing of microelectronic fabrication die may occur: (1) during various stages incident to the ongoing fabrication of microelectronic fabrication substrates, as is generally understood to encompass in-line electrical test testing of microelectronic fabrication die; as well as (2) subsequent to completion of fabrication of microelectronic fabrication substrates, as is generally understood to encompass final electrical test testing of microelectronic fabrication die. Within either in-line electrical test testing of microelectronic fabrication die or final electrical test testing of microelectronic fabrication die there is typically and preferably employed an electrical probe apparatus electrical test method which provides for electrical probe apparatus electrical test testing of various microelectronic devices and/or various microelectronic circuits within a plurality of microelectronic fabrication die fabricated within a microelectronic fabrication substrate.
While in-line electrical test testing of microelectronic fabrication die and final electrical test testing of microelectronic fabrication die while employing electrical probe apparatus electrical test methods are both of considerable interest and of considerable importance to the goal of fabricating fully functional and fully reliable microelectronic fabrication die, both in-line electrical test testing of microelectronic fabrication die and final electrical test testing of microelectronic fabrication die while employing electrical probe apparatus electrical test methods are nonetheless not entirely without problems with respect to the goal of fabricating fully functional and fully reliable microelectronic fabrication die. In that regard, both in-line electrical test testing of microelectronic fabrication die and final electrical test testing of microelectronic fabrication die while employing electrical probe apparatus electrical test methods are often not entirely accurate when fabricating microelectronic fabrication die and often require a considerable expenditure of microelectronic fabrication processing resources when fabricating microelectronic fabrication die. Such processing resources may include, but are not limited to, microelectronic fabrication cycle time processing resources, microelectronic fabrication tooling processing resources and microelectronic fabrication direct labor processing resources. Such electrical test testing inaccuracy and considerable expenditure of microelectronic fabrication processing resources in turn increases, in general, microelectronic fabrication production costs when fabricating microelectronic fabrication die.
It is thus desirable in the art of microelectronic fabrication to provide electrical test methods for more accurately and efficiently electrical test testing microelectronic fabrication die fabricated within microelectronic fabrication substrates.
It is towards the foregoing object that the present invention is directed.
Various methods, systems and apparatus for electrical test testing microelectronic fabrications, such as to realize desirable results incident to electrical test testing microelectronic fabrications, have been disclosed in the art of microelectronic fabrication.
Included among the methods, systems and apparatus, but not limited among the methods, systems and apparatus, are methods, systems and apparatus disclosed within: (1) Shibata, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,737 (an electrical probe apparatus electrical test method which provides for arranging indexing regions within a microelectronic fabrication substrate such as to minimize indexing and non-contact with respect to microelectronic fabrication die fabricated within the microelectronic fabrication substrate); (2) Song, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,951 (a wafer map conversion method which provides for enhanced transcription of electrical probe apparatus electrical test data obtained for a microelectronic fabrication die and forwarded to a microelectronic die bonding apparatus employed for bonding the microelectronic fabrication die); (3) Stubblefield et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,101 (an electrical probe apparatus electrical test method which provides for an immediate retesting of an apparent electrically unacceptable microelectronic fabrication die prior to repositioning an electrical probe apparatus electrical test head employed for electrical test testing the microelectronic fabrication die); (4) Ozaki, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,403 (a test data system and a test data method which provide for linking and superposition of a plurality of types of test data, such as electrical test data, obtained at various stages in fabrication of a series of microelectronic fabrication die).; and (5) (a) Crispin et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,277; (b) Okajima, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,838; and (c) Di Zenzo et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,130,442 (a series of methods and microelectronic structures which provide for intrinsically storing electrical probe apparatus electrical test data within an electrically programmable device portion of a microelectronic fabrication die).
Desirable in the art of microelectronic fabrication are additional electrical test methods which may be employed for more accurately and efficiently electrical test testing microelectronic fabrication die fabricated within microelectronic fabrication substrates.
It is towards the foregoing object that the present invention is directed.
A first object of the present invention is to provide an electrical test method for electrical test testing a series of micorelectronic fabrication die fabricated within a microelectronic fabrication substrate.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an electrical test method in accord with the first object of the present invention, wherein the series microelectronic fabrication die is more accurately and efficiently electrical test tested.
A third object of the present invention is to provide an electrical test method in accord with the first object of the present invention and the second object of the present invention, wherein the electrical test method is readily commercially implemented.
In accord with the objects of the present invention, there is provided by the present invention an electrical test method for electrical test testing a series of microelectronic fabrication die fabricated within a microelectronic fabrication substrate.
To practice the method of the present invention, there is first provided a microelectronic fabrication substrate having fabricated therein a series of microelectronic fabrication die. There is then electrical test tested within the microelectronic fabrication substrate the series of microelectronic fabrication die while employing an electrical probe apparatus which sequentially repositions an electrical probe head which accommodates at least one microelectronic fabrication die within the series of microelectronic fabrication die when electrical test testing each of the microelectronic fabrication die within the series of microelectronic fabrication die to thus determine from the series of microelectronic fabrication die at least one sub-series of electrically acceptable microelectronic fabrication die. Finally, there is then electrical test retested only the at least one subseries of electrically acceptable microelectronic fabrication die.
There is provided by the present invention an electrical test method for electrical test testing a series of microelectronic fabrication die fabricated within a microelectronic fabrication substrate, wherein the series of microelectronic fabrication die fabricated within the microelectronic fabrication substrate is more accurately and efficiently electrical test tested.
The present invention realizes the foregoing object by employing an electrical probe apparatus electrical test method which provides for: (1) an electrical probe head electrical test testing of each of a series of microelectronic fabrication die fabricated within a microelectronic fabrication substrate to determine at least one sub-series of electrically acceptable microelectronic fabrication die within the microelectronic fabrication substrate; followed by (2) electrical test retesting of only the at least one series of electrically acceptable microelectronic fabrication die within the microelectronic fabrication substrate.
The method of the present invention is readily commercially implemented. The present invention employs apparatus and systems as are generally known in the art of microelectronic fabrication, but employed at least in part within the context of a novel methodology which provides at least in part the present invention. Since it is thus at least in part a specific methodology which provides at least in part the present invention, rather than the existence of specific apparatus and systems which provides the present invention, the method of the present invention is readily commercially implemented.